Slate Debates
Slate Podcasts
A feed from the Slate podcast network featuring episodes with enlightening conversations, opposing views, and plenty of healthy disputes. You'll get a curated selection of episodes from programs like What Next, The Waves, and the Political Gabfest, with deep discussions that go beyond point-counterpoint and shed light on the issues that matter most.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Aug 3, 2021 • 30min
Taking Home the Gold in Language
On today’s episode of Spectacular Vernacular, hosts Ben Zimmer and Nicole Holliday chat about language at the Olympics in Tokyo. They also chat with linguist Arika Okrent about her new book, Highly Irregular: Why Tough, Through, and Dough Don't Rhyme―And Other Oddities of the English Language. (Check out an essay Okrent wrote about the English spelling system.) And finally, we have our first guest joining us for a fun quiz segment that you don’t want to miss. Do you have any language questions or fun facts to share? Email us at spectacular@slate.com. You can also use that email address to let us know if you’d like to take part in a future episode, where we’ll bring in listeners for some challenging wordplay. Produced by Jasmine Ellis and Cheyna Roth. Subscribe to Slate Plus. It’s only $1 for the first month. To learn more, go to slate.com/spectacularplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 20, 2021 • 31min
They Might Be Linguists
Welcome to Spectacular Vernacular, Slate’s new podcast about language! In our inaugural episode, hosts Ben Zimmer and Nicole Holliday marvel at Zaila Avant-garde’s historic win at Scripps National Spelling Bee. They also chat with They Might Be Giants’, John Linnell, about creating his new pandemic project in Latin. And finally, they do some fun language puzzles, and you can play along at home. Do you have any language questions or fun facts to share? Email us at spectacular@slate.com. You can also use that email address to let us know if you’d like to take part in a future episode, where we’ll bring in listeners for some challenging wordplay. You can listen to John Linnell’s new EP here.Produced by Jasmine Ellis and Cheyna Roth. Subscribe to Slate Plus. It’s only $1 for the first month. To learn more, go to slate.com/spectacularplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 6, 2021 • 40min
Russian Is My Mt. Everest
A grueling, painful, lifelong joy of studying Russian was sparked by Anna Karenina.Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on Lexicon Valley each week, and no ads. Sign up now to listen and support our show.Twitter: @lexiconvalleyFacebook: facebook.com/LexiconValleyEmail: lexiconvalley@slate.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 22, 2021 • 46min
Languages of Northern Africa
From vowelless words to complex poetry, Berber to Somali.Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on Lexicon Valley each week, and no ads. Sign up now to listen and support our show.Twitter: @lexiconvalleyFacebook: facebook.com/LexiconValleyEmail: lexiconvalley@slate.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 8, 2021 • 47min
You're Gonna Hafta
Deconstructing a single line of dialogue from Netflix's "The Crown."Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on Lexicon Valley each week, and no ads. Sign up now to listen and support our show.Twitter: @lexiconvalleyFacebook: facebook.com/LexiconValleyEmail: lexiconvalley@slate.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 25, 2021 • 40min
The Languages of Southeast Asia
Why are so many of the languages of Southeast Asia "like Chinese"?Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on Lexicon Valley each week, and no ads. Sign up now to listen and support our show.Twitter: @lexiconvalleyFacebook: facebook.com/LexiconValleyEmail: lexiconvalley@slate.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 11, 2021 • 42min
Irregardless Make You Cringe? Relax.
English is full of redundancies—so why are we bothered by only a select few?Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on Lexicon Valley each week, and no ads. Sign up now to listen and support our show.Twitter: @lexiconvalleyFacebook: facebook.com/LexiconValleyEmail: lexiconvalley@slate.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Apr 27, 2021 • 41min
Nine Nasty Words
John McWhorter teases his new book about off-color English expressions, starting with c!#k.Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on Lexicon Valley each week, and no ads. Sign up now to listen and support our show.Twitter: @lexiconvalleyFacebook: facebook.com/LexiconValleyEmail: lexiconvalley@slate.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Apr 13, 2021 • 47min
The Invisible Complexities of Translation
A single word—take "self," for example—reveals the thorny nature of literary translation.Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on Lexicon Valley each week, and no ads. Sign up now to listen and support our show.Twitter: @lexiconvalleyFacebook: facebook.com/LexiconValleyEmail: lexiconvalley@slate.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mar 30, 2021 • 44min
English Is Plain Weird
Don't be fooled into thinking that English is a typical language. It's not.Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on Lexicon Valley each week, and no ads. Sign up now to listen and support our show.Twitter: @lexiconvalleyFacebook: facebook.com/LexiconValleyEmail: lexiconvalley@slate.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
